Seven Forty Seven will carry famous colours with credit

Press, 9 April 1977, Page 21

Seven Forty Seven will carry famous colours with credit

Racing and trotting

By

J. J. BOYLE

Seven Forty Seven lends something of an international flavour to the Canterbury Jockey Club’s George Adams Handicap at Riccarton on Monday.

The eight-year-old will carry the light green and dark green checks of the! Texas millionaire. Mr Nelson! Bunker Hunt, who last year; gained a distinction unique, in the annals of inter-; national competition when! ’he won the English Derbys with Empery and the French Derby, the Canadian International Championship ’Stakes and the Washington

International with Youth. As winner of his last ;three races, the most recent! of them the Manawatu Racing Club’s Autumn Handicap ; undei 59.5 kg, Seven Forty Seven will engage the reispect of everyone and the I support of thousands when he goes after the first leg of the C.J.C. T.A.B. double with 60.5. j Seven Forty Seven is j trained for Mr Hunt by Kevin Old at Matamata and will be ridden on Monday by R. Johnson. If he continues his present excellent level of form at Riccarton he will be prepared for rich races at the Queensland winter carnival. Seven Forty Seven’s 60.5 kg at Riccarton represents 2.5 kg more than weight-for-age. None of the; others in the field has to carry scale weight: and one' of the most lively talking! ’ points is whether the Trictrac gelding will give age; and substantial weight to Sir’ James, which goes into the' ; race with 50kg or Bkg under the scale. Sir James, the winner of; six of his last nine races.; has not had North Island competition so far. which ’gives one pause while seeking to establish if the Mel-; lay gelding has class to back; a high level of competence and marked consistency. Horses down in the weights have assembled a; strong record in Riccarton’si 'main Easter Monday attrac-; 'tion. Even Grey Way had to; bow out to the light-weight! Karnak last year, and there,' ;is much confidence in the; ability of Sir James to main-! tain the trend. Southland will have two! hopefuls in San Ardo and; the three-year-old Judge Obadiah; and Nuriootpa, although soundly beaten by the veteran Heckle's Choice in a gallop on Thursday, will surprise few if he extends his good sprinter“miler” form into a middle: distance. SECOND LEG In the absence of North Island competition, autumn form on South Island; courses should prove of full ! value in the Great. Easter,; second leg of the T.A.B. double. The Wingatui trainer, Cliff; Reese-Jones, will put the; half-sisters, Top Secret and’ Trade Secret, into the race with the reasonable ex-; pectation of seeing them in ■ contending roles. Top Secret was a game winner at Rangiora last Monday, but this time might have to bow out to Trade; Secret, which made impres-l sive progress through the! lower grades in the summer.

come back well this autumn I with winning streak on southern courses. R. McArr 10 2111 SIR JAMES (13) 50 (5 g j Meilay—Allez Vite: Miss A. Peddie. Washdyke). One ol brightest of South Island 1. hopes after a string of good . races. Decisive winner at this distance at North Canterbury meeting on Monday. J R. McCann ■ 11 0483 HECKLE'S CHOICE (10) 49 <9 g Better Honey—Dark Noon; W. J. Calder, Otaki). : Came back well fresh for I third behind Sir James and Anita Kay at Rangiora. 13 2217 ORIENT CHARM (7) 49 J (5 m Charicles — Orient Queen: A. W. Prendergast, Wingatui). Mixed her form at Cromwell, winning over 2000 m on first day, then fail- • ing same distance two davs later. . I Scratched: Varnamo (2), Idle ; Torque (12), Membership (11). 3.25 p.m.— GREAT EASTER HANDICAP $5000: 1400 m. ; 1 5411 GREAT BLAZE (8) 56 1 (4 g Meilay—Debbie Marie, J. I Lalor. Ashburton). Has reached peak form again and will be going for his third consecutive open sprint victory here. Looks one of stronger chances. D. Walsh 2 2031 THE SWAGGER (9) 55.5 (5 g Meilay—The Kind, Dennis Bros, Woodlands). Useful sprinter with a sound I record on this course.' hn I proved on recent minor plac- | ings with a victory against ■ the sprinters at Beaumont i last Saturday. Always a I chance. A. Robinson I 3 7121 TOP SECRET (2) 55.5 (5 I m Meilay—Entrance, C. S. ; Reese-Jones, Wingatui). IniI proved sound record with a narrow but game victory in the sprint at Rangiora last Monday Should be top chance as this distance will suit her even better. 4 2169 NURIOOTPA (1) 55 (4 g Taipan H—Gay Gilpin. G. 11. Humphries, Riccarton). Missed out at Trentham and Awapuni at last two starts but beat a strong field of metric milers at Trentham three « starts back. Very good at his , best and will command res5 2551 GAME WARRIOR (3) 53 (6 g Ribotlight—Hula, R. J. 1 Cochrane, Gore). Managed ’ this distance successfully at • Oamaru last time out. Usually runs his races out strongly and should be thereabouts at the finish. R. Heaslip 6 4211 GOTTA GO (10) 53 <4 g Greek God —Kowhai Princess. T. W Lalor, Riccarton). Stylish winner over this distance twice at recent Nelson meeting. Still handily enough weighted to make his presence felt. B. Lee | 7 6374 MAGIC EYE (12) 51 (6 | m Pakistan II —Magic Mirror, j E. A. Winsloe. Gore). Speedy but has not been running her I races out very solidly lately. ! Would have to improve to be a winning chance 8 9096 TE PANGO NUI (13) 51 | (5 h Greek God—Carlton. R. T. Harris, Tuahiwi). Finding ! it hard to regain form while the tracks remain firm but stilj went encouraging races I for sixth in sprint at Rangiora last Monday. ' 9 1122 TRADE SECRET (4) 51 (4 m Postillion ll—Entrance, ; C. S. Reese-Jones, Wingatui). Recent record among the I sprinters in the south hasi been very solid and should j not be out of her depth in ! this field M. Mein 10 3216 MONKUR (7) 50 (5 g Hastings Road—Kurdille, G. W. Robertson. Wyndham). Except for last start failure has been racing soundly al| along the line. IBooks one of stronger chances among the light-weights. J. McKay II 3150 ERNEST (11) 49.5 (5 g Greek God—Damson, Mrs G. F. Preston, Riccarton). Show j ing at Rangiora last Monday when he hardly raised a gallop in the open sprint was right out of character. That effort might best be disregarded for previous form was sound G. Mein 12 5447 DARNLEY STAR (6) 49; (4 m Darnley—Winscombe Winnie. K. W. Quayle. Ric-I carton). Comes up with the! odd good run but not con- 1 sistent enough to recommend with confidence. B. Hibberd 13 6667 HIS GESTURE (5) 49 (4 gi Charicles—Maybeso, R. T.| Harris. Tuahiwi). Fairly hon-| cst type with plenty of pace 1 but has found the going hard; to improve record since grad-! uating to this class. 14 0955 SAN HAGEN (14) 49 (6 m Copenhagen ll—San Rafael. A N. Didham, Wingatui). Has shown some improve-‘ ment at last two starts but. still hard to fancy on record all round. 1

Canterbury’s best should! be Great Blaze and Gotta* Go, which are both to race in the interests of the Ric-I carton trainer, Tom Lalor. ; Great Blaze beat Trade Secret at the Otago autumn! meeting, and has since won brilliantly over 1200 m at Ashburton, where he is trained by the owner’s: brother. Jim Lalor. Riders Riding engagements for events' mother than the T.A.B, double on, I the first day of the Canterbury: Jockey Club’s Easter meeting on; ' Monday are:— 1 R, Heaslip: Dual, Summer; Night. Sir Belfield, Arapeta. ; M. Mein: Cracker Day, Biddy! Magee. Celsius, Sliaianee. , : ' R. McCann: Pvthian. C> Henins, Mt Ay Bee. S. Ching: Hood. M. Thornley: Golden Trumpet. I Billie Jean. River Scene. B. Lee: Jolt. Lady Auburn. ; A. Robinson: Regina Caeli,: Henopae, Cathmoi. Dad’s Pride.; G. Heaton: Country Rambler. Wvnona. ; H. Pateman: Greenhide Bill.j Star Baby, Ultimate. P. Jones: Bunnv Hug. D. Walsh: Hunting the Snark, ! Chiltern Blaze, Lateryl. R. Moir: Yakcam, Full Stop, Whistle My Tune. Morgantown. R. McAra: Danielle Rae. ; O. Aiming: Redlo. G. Mein: Royal Strike, Grey; Altair. Patchouli. Barkley Boy. | J McKay: The Skipper, Kindle. ; D. Eva: No Mistake. : B. Hibberd: Phoenix Lad, Rock-; ford. Aristocrat. S. Laughton: Capriole. P. Smith: Stagdance, Jet Setter. Regiment, Dinaro, Allez | Rouge. I M. McPhie: Sparrowhawk, I ! Native Rein. j 2.5 p.m.— GEORGE ADAMS HANDICAP, $10,000; 2000 m. 1 4111 SEVEN FORTY SEVEN i (8) 60.5 (8 g Trictrac—Foxdonna: K. A. Old, Matamata». Mastered 59.5 to win over. 2200 at Awapuni, March 26.' One of lop chances in his I present brilliant patch of form. 3 2169 NURIOOTPA (6) 54 <4 g Taipan ll—Gay Gilpin; G., 11. Humphries, Riccarton). Stepping up to middle dis-! tance after successful campaign as sprinter-“miler.” Won Wellington Thompson Handicap three starts back. 4 9302 ANITA KAY (4) 53.5. (6 m Meilay—Magic Casement; C. Reese-Jones, Wingatui). Found Sir James too good this distance at Rangiora last Monday, but ran it out doggedly for her second. 5 3111 SAN ARDO (5) 53.5 (5, g Bellborough—Arosa; R. J. Cochrane, Gore). Easy winner over middle distances at Gore. Invercargill and Oamaru this autumn. This) harder, but must be respec-! ted on that form. D. Walsh 7 1648 MHORLIGHT (1) 53 (4l h Mhor—Royal Opera; R. T.j Harris, Tuahiwi). Did not show much at Nelson, and! acted as if he was in need of easier footing. 8 1211 JUDGE OBADIAH (3) I 50.5 (3 c Whistling Willie— Spur On: P. S. Smellie and; K. W. Thompson, Invercar-; gill). Placed in 2000 Guineas; here last November and hasi